YOUNG families are finding it harder than ever to get a foothold on the property ladder, with affordability problems at a record high, research has revealed. A report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says the average home in Great Britain now costs 4.36 times the average household earnings for young working families. The property price to earnings ratio exceeds five to one in 78 areas across Great Britain.

A National Housing Federation spokesman said: "This report is yet more evidence that we're facing a housing timebomb."